Our people

Professor Kathy Ann Mills

Professorial Future Fellow, Australian Research Council
Literacies and Digital Cultures

Areas of expertise: Artificial intelligence (AI), AI literacy, digital technologies, digital pedagogy; digital media, young people, multimodality; sensory literacies; writing and technology, new literacies, literacy learning, multiliteracies, critical literacy, big qualitative data

HDR Supervisor accreditation status: Full

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1140-3545

Phone: +617 3861 6234

Email: Kathy.Mills@acu.edu.au

Location: ACU Brisbane Campus

Professor Kathy A. Mills is Lead, AI and Digital Citizenship, at the Institute for Learning Science and Teacher Education (ILSTE), FEA, ACU, Brisbane. She advises on the Queensland Chief Scientist Social Sciences Reference Group, and is cited in the World’s Top 2% Scientist list (Stanford) for multiple consecutive years. Her leading research examines gaps in current knowledge and educational uses of AI literacy and human flourishing in education, answering urgent questions with evidence about the digital literacy practices of children and young people, and solutions for educational change. Mills has published over 125 academic works, including award-winning books, informing the policies of 17 government organisations globally, cited over 7590 times in 83 countries. Her public engagement has wide global reach through national TV, radio, and 52 news media outlets to 17 million people.

Professor Mills has won six Australian Research Council grants (category 1), leading five of these, including three named ARC Fellowships (ARC Future Fellowship, ARC DECRA, ARC APDI), plus other industry grants and international research collaborations, including from the Norway Research Council. Her Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship developed innovative approaches to digital learning through broadened use of the senses in education sites, art museums, and community programs in two countries (FT18010009; 2019-2024). Her current ARC Discovery grant develops critical pedagogies for AI and extended reality (XR) technology (See: AI - Reading the World). Professor Mills has forged 51 new industry collaborations in Australia and the USA – government, schools, unions, tech companies, start-ups, and not-for-profits. She is 2026 winner of the ALEA Citation of Merit Award for Research, winner of the Edward Fry Book Award, LRA (USA), the Divergent Award for Excellence in 21^st Century Literacies (USA), and has won two Vice Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Research and Research Partnerships.

Professor Mills was the founding director of the Research Centre, Literacies, Culture & Digital Media, QUT, and Acting Director, ILSTE, ACU (multiple terms). She served 8 years on the American Educational Research Association’s Writing and Literacies Executive Committee. As Chair in 2018, she launched a mentoring program for 600 academics from America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, and also led as Program Chair, Treasurer, and Communications Chair, founding and governing 4 sub-committees. She has advised on higher education strategic directions and governance for 16 boards and consultative committees across three universities and multiple ACU campuses in Australia and Rome, grant assessing for the Economic and Social Research Council (UK), Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), the Australian Research Council, the Czech Science Foundation, and 8 editorial boards. Professor Mills is regularly invited to present keynotes nationally and internationally for academic conferences and symposia, presenting 33 invited keynotes across the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway, Cyprus, Japan, Chile and Mexico.

Experience

Select publications

Sample Authored Books

• Mills, K.A. & Gutierrez, A. (2026). Critical Literacy in an AI World. Routledge.
• Mills, K.A., Unsworth, L., & Scholes, L. (2022). Literacy for Digital Futures: Mind, Body, Text. Routledge.
• Mills, K.A. (2019). Big Data for Qualitative Research. Routledge.
• Mills, K. A. (2016). Literacy Theories for the Digital Age: Social, Critical, Multimodal, Spatial, Socio-material & Sensory lenses. Multilingual Matters. (Translated into Korean)
• Mills, K.A. (2010). The Multiliteracies Classroom. Multilingual Matters.

Edited Books

• Mills, K. A., Stornaiuolo, A., Smith, A., & Pandya, J. (2018). Handbook of Writing, Literacies, and Education in Digital Cultures. Routledge. Open Chapters

Sample journal articles (of 125)

• Morrison, R., & Mills, K.A. (2026). Student conceptions of generative artificial intelligence in early adolescence. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.10.1007/s10639-026-14065-2
• Gutierrez, A., Scholes, L., Mills, K.A., and McDonald, S. (2026). Critical attributes of future K-12 schooling to inform policy and practice: a scoping review. Research Papers in Education. Open.
• Caughey, J., Mills, K.A., & Edwards, S. (2026). Using qualitative research co-design for intergenerational perspectives of online play. Qualitative Research. Open
• Mills, K.A., Brown, A., & Moro, C., (2025). Virtual and Augmented reality text environments support self-directed multimodal reading. Interactive Learning Environments. Open
• Stone, B., Mills, K.A., Sagers, B., Blundell, C. & Friend, L. (2025). Multiplayer Gaming and Autism: Social Communication through Repetitive Behaviours. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. Open
• Mills, K.A. Cope, J., Scholes, L. & Rowe, L. (2024). Coding and computational thinking across the curriculum: A review of educational outcomes. Review of Educational Research. Open Access
• Mills, K.A., Brown, A., & Funnell, P. (2024). Virtual reality games for 3D multimodal designing and knowledge across the curriculum. Australian Educational Researcher, 51. Open Access
• Moro, C., Mills, K.A. & Phelps, C. (2024). The CRAFTS learning framework: equipping learners to create relevant, accessible, fun, tailored and scholarly activities in higher education. Interactive Learning Environments. Open Access
• Veum, A., Øidvin Burgess, M., & Mills, K.A. (2024). Adolescents’ critical multimodal analysis of social media self-representations, Language and Education, 38(8): doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2023.2287508 Open Access
• Mills, K.A. (2023). Critical Literacy and social media for L1 language learners in the Second Machine Age. Critical Literacy in Teaching L1, Danish Journal of Knowledge about Literacy, vol 34. Open Access
• Gutierrez, A., Mills, K.A., Luke, R., Scholes, L., & Pink, E. (2023). What do secondary teachers think about video games for learning: Stupid fixation or the future of education? Teaching and Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104278Open Access
• Mills, K.A., & Brown, A. (2023). Smart glasses for 3D multimodal composition. Learning, Media and Technology. Online first: DOI: 10.1080/17439884.2023.2207142 Open Access
• Baker, B., Mills, K.A., McDonald, P., & Wang, L. AI, (2023) Concepts of Intelligence, and Chatbots: The “Figure of Man,” the Rise of Emotion, and Future Visions of Education. Teachers College Record. Online first: https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681231191291Open Access
• Mills, K.A., Doyle, K. & Friend, L. (2023). Multimodal language rights and Indigenous totemic identity. Language, Identity and Education, Online first:doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2022.2149531.Open Access.
• Moro, C., Mills, K.A., Phelps, C., & Birt, J. (2023). The Triple-S framework: Ensuring Scalable, Sustainable, and Serviceable practices in technology. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. Open Access
• Scholes, L., Rowe, L, Mills, K.A., Gutierrez A. & Pink, E. (2022). Video gaming and digital competence among elementary school students. Learning, Media and Technology, 1-16 Doi: 10.1080/17439884.2022.2156537. Open Access
• Mills, K.A., Scholes, L. & Brown, A. (2022). Virtual reality and embodiment in multimodal meaning making. Written Communication 39(3), 1- 35. https://doi.org/10.1177/07410883221083517Open Access
• Mills, K.A. (2022). Potentials and challenges of extended reality technologies for language learning. Special Issue: Focus on Video Games and English Language Education/Designing Hybrid Learning Spaces. Anglistik 33(1), 147-163. https://doi.org/10.33675/ANGL/2022/1/13Open Access
• Hagen, A. & Mills, K.A. (2022). Rhythm in literary apps. Visual Communication. https://doi.org/10.1177/14703572221078038Open Access
• Friend, L., Mills, K.A., & Lingard, B. (2022). Globalisation, cultural knowledges and sociomateriality in Middle Eastern education: How the global and local influence classroom practices? Globalisation, Societies and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2021.2016376Author Full Text.
• Mills, K.A. & Brown, A. (2021). Immersive virtual reality for digital media making: Transmediation is key, Learning, Media and Technology. https://doi.10.1080/17439884.2021.1052428Open Access
• Friend, L. & Mills, K.A. (2021). Towards a typology of touch in multisensory makerspaces. Learning, Media and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.1928695Open Access
• Scholes, L., Mills, K.A. & Wallace, E. (2021). Boys’ gaming identities and opportunities for learning. Learning, Media and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2021.1936017Open Access
• Mills, K.A. & Stone, B. (2020). Multimodal attitude in digital composition: Appraisal in elementary English. Research in the Teaching of English, 55(1), 160–186. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2471515154/C775452BF9864CF5PQ/4?accountid=8194
• Patulny, R, Mills, K.A. Bellocchi, A., Olsen, R., & McKenzie, J. (2020). The emotional trade-off between meaningful and precarious work in new economies. Special Issue: Meaningful Work, Journal of Sociology, 56(3), 333-355. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783320934156
• Mills, K.A., Stone, B. G., Unsworth, L., & Friend, L. (2020). Multimodal Language of Attitude in Digital Composition. Written Communication, 37(2), 135–166. https://doi: 10.1177/0741088319897978
• Unsworth, L., & Mills, K.A. (2020). English language teaching of attitude and emotion in digital multimodal composition. Journal of Second Language Writing, 47, 100712. https://doi: 10.1016/j.jslw.2020.100712

Sample Book Chapters

• Mills, K.A. Khosronejad, M. Rowe, L. & Baker, B. (in press). Critical affective AI literacy through text-to-image generation in an elementary classroom. Elgar. In Jone, S. & Kalantzis, M (Eds.). Understanding AI Literacy. Elgar.
• Mills, K.A., & Zhou, R. (in press). Big Data and AI in Social Research. In Flick, U. (Ed). Sage Handbook of Social Research Impact. Sage.
• Mills, K.A., & Moro, C. (2026). Artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the future of qualitative content analysis. In Schreier, M. & Weydmann (Eds). Handbook of Qualitative Content Analysis. Edward Elgar.
• Mills, K.A., Brown, A., & Gutierrez, A., (2025). Virtual reality street art with L2 learners as multimodal literacy. In Reyes-Torres, A. Brisk, M., & Lacorte, M. Multiliteracies, Multimodality, and Learning by Design in Second Language Learning and Teacher Education. Routledge.
• Mills, K.A. (2024). Critical literacy and digital futures: Looking ahead. In Veum A. et al., Critical Literacy for Digital Times (pp. 311-326). Scandinavian University Press. Full Text
• Mills, K.A. & Rowe, L. (2024). Quality in Big Qual Research. In Flick, U. Sage Handbook Qual Research Quality. Sage.
• Mills, K.A. (2024). What Counts as Language learning in a born-digital textual world? In Ludwig, C. & Kersten, S. (Eds). Born Digital Texts in Language Learning and Teaching. Multilingual Matters.
• Mills, K.A. (2023). Intellectual tributaries of the digital turn in literacy Studies. In Avila, J. (Ed.). Leaders in English Language Arts Educational Studies: Intellectual Self-Portraits. Brill View
• Mills, K.A. & Exley, B. (2022). Sensory Literacies: The Full Sensorium in Literacy Learning. In Yaden, D. & Rogers, T. Literacies and Language Education, International Encyclopedia of Education, 4th Edition.  Full Text
• Mills, K.A. (2022). Big Data in Qualitative Research. In Atkinson, P. (Ed.) Sage Research Methods. Full Text
• Friend, L. & Mills, K.A. (2021). Researching children’s virtual reality. In Serafini, F. (Ed.) Beyond the Visual: Researching Multimodal Phenomena. Teachers College Press.  Full Text
• Mills, K.A. (2019). Foreword: The Spatial turn in Literacy Theory. In Pyles, D.G., Rish, R.M., Warner, J. Negotiating Place and Space through Digital Literacies: Research and Practice (p. ix-xiii). Information Age.
• Mills, K.A. & Dooley, J. (2019). Sensory ways to Indigenous multimodal literacies: Hands and feet tell the story. In J. Rennie, & H. Harper (Eds.), Literacy education and Indigenous Australians. Springer.
• Mills, K.A., Unsworth, L., & Barton, G. (2019). The digital mediation of emotions in late modernity. In R. Patulny, A. Bellocchi, R. Olson, S. Khorana, J. McKenzie, & M. Peterie (Eds.), Emotions in late modernity. Routledge Studies in the Sociology of Emotions. Routledge.  Full Text
• Bellocchi, A., Mills, K.A., Olson, R., Patulny, R., & McKenzie, J. (2019). Emotion work at the frontline of STEM teaching. In L. Bryan & K. Tobin (Eds.), Critical issues bold visions for Science ed (pp. 247–264). Sense Full Text
• Mills, K.A., & Godley, A. (2018). Race and racism in digital media: What can critical race theory contribute to research on techno-cultures? In K. Mills et al. (Eds.), Handbook of writing, literacies, and education in digital cultures (pp. 111–122). Routledge.
• Mills, K.A., & Stornaiuolo, A. (2018). Digital diversity, ideology, and the politics of a writing revolution. In K. Mills, A. Stornaiuolo, A. Smith, & J. Zacher Pandya (Eds.), Handbook of writing, literacies, and education in digital cultures (pp. 1–10). Routledge.
• Mills, K.A., Unsworth, L., & Exley, B. (2018). Sensory literacies, the body & digital media. In K. Mills, A. Stornaiuolo, A. Smith, & J. Pandya (Eds.), Handbook of writing, literacies, & ed in digital cultures (pp. 26–36). Routledge.
• Mills, K.A., & Unsworth, L. (2017). Multimodal literacy. In G. Noblit (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford University Press.
• Mills, K.A. & Unsworth, L. (2016). The literacy curriculum: A critical review. In Wyse, D., Hayward, L., & Pandya, J. (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment (pp. 621–637). SAGE. Full Text
• Mills, K.A. (2015). Doing digital composition on the social web: Knowledge processes in literacy learning. In Cope, B. & Kalantzis, M. (Eds.), A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Learning by design. (pp. 172–185). Palgrave. Full Text
• Mills, K.A. & Dreamson, N. (2015). Race, the senses, and the materials of writing practices. In J. Turbill, C. Brock, & G. Barton (Eds.), Teaching writing in today's classrooms: Looking back to look forward (pp. 298–312). Australian Literacy Educators' Association.
• Mills, K.A. & Comber, B. (2015). Socio-spatial approaches to literacy studies: Rethinking the social constitution and politics of space. In J. Rowsell, & K. Pahl (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of literacy studies (pp. 91–103).
• Iyer, R., Kettle, M., Luke, A., & Mills, K.A. (2014). Critical applied linguistics. In C. Leung & B. Street (Eds.), The Routledge companion to English studies (pp. 317–332). Routledge.
• Mills, K.A. & Comber, B. (2013). Space, place and power: The spatial turn in literacy research. In K. Hall, T. Cremin, B. Comber, & L. Moll (Eds.), International handbook of research in children's literacy, learning and culture (pp. 412–423). Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.

Category One Grants 

• Lead CI Mills, K.A. et al. ARC Discovery,Critical Pedagogies for AI and Extended Reality (XR) Technology. $599 127.00, 2025-2028. DP250100105.
• Lead Fellow Mills, K.A.ARC Discovery Future Fellowship. Sensory Orchestration for Multimodal Literacy Learning in Primary Education. $974, 635 AUD, 2019-2024. FT180100009.
• International PI Mills, KA on CI Veum et al. Norway Research Council, Critical Digital Literacy in a Global and Textual World, University of South-Eastern Norway, 2020-2024. ID 301347.
• CI Mills, K.A. on Unsworth et al. ARC Discovery. Coding Animated Narratives as Contemporary Multimodal Authorship in Schools. $442, 609, 2019-2023. DP190100228. 
• Lead CI Mills, K.A.ARC Linkage,Developing the Multimodal Language of Emotions of Low SES Primary Students. $191, 772, 2015-2019. LP150100030.
• Lead Fellow ARC Discovery DECRA Fellowship, Developing the Multimodal Literacy Learning of Indigenous Australian Primary Students through Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being. $395, 218, 2013-2017. DE140100047.
• Fellow Mills, KA. (APDI) on Woods et al. ARC Linkage. Digital Learning and Print Literacy: A Design Experiment for the Reform of Low Socio-economic, Culturally Diverse Schools. $471, 325, 2009-2013. ID: LP0990289. 

Category 2-4 Grants

• Virtual Museum: CIs: Davis, G., Cook, D., Mills, K.A., Wearne, G., Rieger, J. Nestor, D. Thomas, Z. PIs: Garfinkel, Y., Sumption, K., Gitler, H. Collins, P. British Museum, Sydney Jewish Museum, Hebrew Uni of Jerusalem, Israel Museum, Microsoft, ACU.
• Education Horizon Grant (DoE), Future Education: Evidence‐based innovations for Queensland schooling and workforces. Scholes, L., Mills, K.A., Gutierrez, A., & Friend, L.
• Queensland College of Teachers: Kelly, N., Reimann, P., Horsley, M., Mills, K.A, McCluskey, K., Sim, C., Kinnane, A. Online community support for beginning teachers in remote & low SES schools.
• DEEWR REAP Tender, Evaluation and Analysis: RFT PRN28669: Melvil, C., Lunn, J., Comber, B., Cooper, T., Farrell, A., Danby, S., Graham. L., Davis, J., Woods, Q., Walker, S., Walsh, K., Burnett, B., Hughes, H., Irvine, S., Lampert, J., Mills, K., Smeed, J., Ewing., B., Sarra, G.
• Teaching & Learning Grant: Mills, K.A., Ritchie, S., Park, JiYong, Bellocchi, A. Emotional States of Pre-Service Teachers during participation in Online Learning in Higher Education.
• Teaching & Learning Grant: Exley, B.E., Smeed, J., Dooley, K.T., Mills, K.A., Bradfield, K., King, D. Pre-service teachers’ self-preparation for the QCT pre-registration assessment task.
• Griffith Uni /Logan Health Coalition: Mills, K.A., Luke, A., Sunderland, N. Sensory Ethnography of Well-being, Literacy & Place Logan-Beaudesert

HDR Supervisions

Accolades and awards

International awards

• 2018 Divergent Award for Excellence 21st Century Literacies, Oklahoma State
• Edward Fry Book Award 2016, “Literacy Theories for the Digital Age”, Literacy Research Association, USA 
• Springer Journal (CSSE) 2016 Best Paper Award, AERA 

National awards

• ALEA Citation of Merit Award for Research 2026
• ARC Future Fellowship: Developing interdisciplinary methods of sensory orchestration for multimodal literacy learning in primary education nationally and internationally (FT180100009). 2019-2024. 
• ARC DECRA Fellowship: Awarded 1 of 5 Discovery Early Career Research Awards nationally in education (DE140100047). 2014-2017.
• ARC Post-Doctoral Fellowship: Awarded 1 of 2 ARC Australian Post-Doctoral (Industry) fellowships nationally in education in 2009 (LP150100030) 2009-2011.

University awards

• Vice Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award 2020, Research & Partnerships, ACU
• Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence 2016, QUT
• Research Excellence Award (x3), 2011, 2013, 2018, QUT 
• Publication Achievement Award (x5), 2003, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2014, QUT & CHC
• Teaching and Learning Award, 2012 
• Outstanding PhD Supervision Award, 2012 
• Outstanding Book Award – “The Multiliteracies Classroom”, 2011, QUT

Editorial roles

• Australian Educational Researcher, 2014-2016

International journal review panel

• Literacy, UKLA, 2024-current
• Qualitative Research, 2021-current
• Written Communication, 2020-current
• English Teaching: Practice and Critique, New Zealand, 2016-current 
• Journal of Literacy Research, USA, 2014-current
• Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, Australia, 2014-current 
• The Reading Teacher, USA, 2011-2013

Grant agency review panel

• Assessor, Australian Research Council, 2013-current
• Assessor, Economic and Social Research Council (UK), 2020-current
• Assessor, Czech Science Foundation, Czech Republic, 2012-current

Sample Public engagement

• The Conversation: 60% of teachers think video games are a legitimate text to study January 30, 2024.
• The Conversation: AI is now accessible to everyone: 3 things parents should teach their kids. November 20, 2023;
• The Conversation: Technology and learning in the classroom: Six tips to get the balance right. February 19, 2019.